Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Chevrolet Zafira
A great example of an ad that envelopes multiples disciplines; print, design, a 3d element on a 2d pallet and a really cool concept with a very fitting tag line.
"Fits Everybody, Fits Everything." This would be a great promotional give away as well.
Advertising is Alive and Well
Paging Dr. Advertising
I recently read an article that suggested advertising, as it’s traditionally defined is “dead.” What?? Advertising is DEAD?? I think I missed the funeral. Just the other day I spent the day with Advertising, not just a passing nod at the grocery store or a polite wave while pushing through my DVR, I mean I spent all day long with what I would guess was most of what advertising had to offer. Advertising is certainly not dead, nor is it dying…it is just referred to by a different name.
All Day Long
So…stand in line at the grocery store and try to get away from it. To “advertise” is the act or practice of calling public attention to one's product. I stood in line, shoppers reward card in hand, wondering if I indeed wanted a Twix instead of a Snickers and even though I really like the taste of Twix more than Snickers, Twix has a lame campaign going right now, I actually thought that, and considered the Snickers. In my cart I had the short list of missing dinner ingredients, asparagus, roma tomatoes and milk. I also picked up some things I wanted…Tropicana Orange Juice, a Rockstar Lemonade energy drink and some Baked Lays potato chips. I make mention of the brands because I have been marketed to by these brands over many years and I am a loyal consumer of these products.
I wait for the next available self check out and inventory the 13 choices of gum and an equal number of breath mints. I see magazines stacked as high as the space available to do so, all with scintillating one-liners about Hollywood’s scandalous activity and the fastest car on the road is now even faster. A University of Utah sticker is placed on the floor close to where I stand which corresponds with the rack of U of U merchandise for sale just steps away. I pay with my debit card, which has a personalized picture of my most recent trip to Japan on the front, which is an option my credit union offers to it’s members. On my way out a familiar ring from The Salvation Army’s collection bucket during the holidays causes me to reach for the change in my pocket.
I drive home in my Toyota and catch a few minutes of the kids watching something on the Disney Channel and hear excitement when the latest commercial promoting the Nerf N-strike Stampede clip equipped dart gun appears. So cool it even caught my eye…seriously. Oh, and the fact that Nerf was a sponsor at this years Dew Tour was another reminder that it’s “Nerf, or nothing.” You can buy it here, if you want to.
Do you notice what you see anymore? Do you choose one brand over another because of taste, quality, price or design and if so, how did you become acquainted with that particular brand in the first place? Is advertising dead?
A Tivo in your back
Not many people consider commercials to be a pleasurable experience. Look at how convenient the advent and introduction of Hulu™, Netflix™ or Tivo™ is to our daily lives. Today Tivo allows us to record and watch our favorite shows at our leisure, Hulu lets us go back and watch it again from anywhere that has a computer and Netflix serves up movies at the push of a button. But what do we like most about these new viewing options? Does it cater to our busy schedules or is it being able to forward through the commercials, skipping the advertising altogether, the thing that is truly appealing? That notion might suggest that advertising has lost some of its effectiveness, but have these entertainment delivery mediums abandoned advertising as well?
Hell no, they WON’T go.
Hulu, Netflix and Tivo all have fairly well developed campaigns. All of them promote their independence from traditional viewing habits and all of them, advertise to promote their products. They also sell advertising space…ALL of them.
So what is it with some agencies and some advertisers falling into an “advertising is dead” mentality? As with any campaign, any budget or any product…you must do something new to keep or attract a loyal consumer. At times that change may be as simple as a new color or as complex as an entirely new operating system. If we as consumers did not believe that the next thing was truly better, we would not buy it. Advertising is the vehicle in which we become aware.
New paint in the ad industry is…smaller agencies, bigger agencies…or internal personal writing internal copy. New ad operating systems are viral campaigns, online distribution points with music and video as well as social networking sites. The competitive agencies must change with the times and hire or become knowledgeable in these categories, or they WILL lose some of the dollars available to them. However, all of these options are nothing more than new vehicles. Vehicles that without the old fashioned genius, born in the war rooms, think tanks and creative meetings of talented PEOPLE, advertising would truly die.
Ad campaigns, whether big or small, online, in print, broadcast or distributed virally will always be the backbone of our economy. Just as a doctor is born with a gift to save lives, a good campaign is created by a similar virtuosity.
The reality is…we will never get away from advertising. In one form or another, advertising is like air to our economy. We can hold our breath for only so long, and then we will gasp and draw it in deeper than before. Find the right personality to create your campaign and feel great about paying for it, because it can save your products life.
I believe Alec Baldwin says it beautifully in this Hulu ad.
“What are you going to do, turn off your TV AND your computer?” You will never get away from advertising…because it's an evil plot to destroy the world...ENJOY!
I recently read an article that suggested advertising, as it’s traditionally defined is “dead.” What?? Advertising is DEAD?? I think I missed the funeral. Just the other day I spent the day with Advertising, not just a passing nod at the grocery store or a polite wave while pushing through my DVR, I mean I spent all day long with what I would guess was most of what advertising had to offer. Advertising is certainly not dead, nor is it dying…it is just referred to by a different name.
All Day Long
So…stand in line at the grocery store and try to get away from it. To “advertise” is the act or practice of calling public attention to one's product. I stood in line, shoppers reward card in hand, wondering if I indeed wanted a Twix instead of a Snickers and even though I really like the taste of Twix more than Snickers, Twix has a lame campaign going right now, I actually thought that, and considered the Snickers. In my cart I had the short list of missing dinner ingredients, asparagus, roma tomatoes and milk. I also picked up some things I wanted…Tropicana Orange Juice, a Rockstar Lemonade energy drink and some Baked Lays potato chips. I make mention of the brands because I have been marketed to by these brands over many years and I am a loyal consumer of these products.
I wait for the next available self check out and inventory the 13 choices of gum and an equal number of breath mints. I see magazines stacked as high as the space available to do so, all with scintillating one-liners about Hollywood’s scandalous activity and the fastest car on the road is now even faster. A University of Utah sticker is placed on the floor close to where I stand which corresponds with the rack of U of U merchandise for sale just steps away. I pay with my debit card, which has a personalized picture of my most recent trip to Japan on the front, which is an option my credit union offers to it’s members. On my way out a familiar ring from The Salvation Army’s collection bucket during the holidays causes me to reach for the change in my pocket.
I drive home in my Toyota and catch a few minutes of the kids watching something on the Disney Channel and hear excitement when the latest commercial promoting the Nerf N-strike Stampede clip equipped dart gun appears. So cool it even caught my eye…seriously. Oh, and the fact that Nerf was a sponsor at this years Dew Tour was another reminder that it’s “Nerf, or nothing.” You can buy it here, if you want to.
Do you notice what you see anymore? Do you choose one brand over another because of taste, quality, price or design and if so, how did you become acquainted with that particular brand in the first place? Is advertising dead?
A Tivo in your back
Not many people consider commercials to be a pleasurable experience. Look at how convenient the advent and introduction of Hulu™, Netflix™ or Tivo™ is to our daily lives. Today Tivo allows us to record and watch our favorite shows at our leisure, Hulu lets us go back and watch it again from anywhere that has a computer and Netflix serves up movies at the push of a button. But what do we like most about these new viewing options? Does it cater to our busy schedules or is it being able to forward through the commercials, skipping the advertising altogether, the thing that is truly appealing? That notion might suggest that advertising has lost some of its effectiveness, but have these entertainment delivery mediums abandoned advertising as well?
Hell no, they WON’T go.
Hulu, Netflix and Tivo all have fairly well developed campaigns. All of them promote their independence from traditional viewing habits and all of them, advertise to promote their products. They also sell advertising space…ALL of them.
So what is it with some agencies and some advertisers falling into an “advertising is dead” mentality? As with any campaign, any budget or any product…you must do something new to keep or attract a loyal consumer. At times that change may be as simple as a new color or as complex as an entirely new operating system. If we as consumers did not believe that the next thing was truly better, we would not buy it. Advertising is the vehicle in which we become aware.
New paint in the ad industry is…smaller agencies, bigger agencies…or internal personal writing internal copy. New ad operating systems are viral campaigns, online distribution points with music and video as well as social networking sites. The competitive agencies must change with the times and hire or become knowledgeable in these categories, or they WILL lose some of the dollars available to them. However, all of these options are nothing more than new vehicles. Vehicles that without the old fashioned genius, born in the war rooms, think tanks and creative meetings of talented PEOPLE, advertising would truly die.
Ad campaigns, whether big or small, online, in print, broadcast or distributed virally will always be the backbone of our economy. Just as a doctor is born with a gift to save lives, a good campaign is created by a similar virtuosity.
The reality is…we will never get away from advertising. In one form or another, advertising is like air to our economy. We can hold our breath for only so long, and then we will gasp and draw it in deeper than before. Find the right personality to create your campaign and feel great about paying for it, because it can save your products life.
I believe Alec Baldwin says it beautifully in this Hulu ad.
“What are you going to do, turn off your TV AND your computer?” You will never get away from advertising…because it's an evil plot to destroy the world...ENJOY!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Kia Soul 2
Another example of why a good idea can work in multiple markets. KIA Motors takes the Hamsters from the inner city, off of the courts and away from the beat driven group of younger ethnic buyers and successfully hands the Soul off to a group that is cool, hip and significantly more neutral.
Race and socioeconomic status are neutral in this ad. To me it says be a different kind of professional and not just another one of the hamsters(rat race)...drive a KIA Soul.
The same general commercial concept...with a little LESS soul, or maybe more of it.
Race and socioeconomic status are neutral in this ad. To me it says be a different kind of professional and not just another one of the hamsters(rat race)...drive a KIA Soul.
The same general commercial concept...with a little LESS soul, or maybe more of it.
Kia Soul
In contrast to some really bad commercials with a poor use of little fury creatures I have to submit this from KIA Motors as a little piece of commercial genius.
What makes it so good? Check it out and see if you agree.
There is no doubt who KIA's target demographic is and what they get for their money, starting at under $14k. Inner city buyers who are into functionality and style that screams sick but affordable. In this case, I think the Hamsters are effective in their ability to capture an audience based on the furry factor...I mean, Hamsters in oversized hoodies rollin through city blocks to the beats of a little RUN DMC. I wouldn't go as far as to say they were cute, but they work as spokes-hamster for a small car in an on the move market.
There is more genius in the comparitive examples throughout. Roll in a KIA Soul or fall on your face in a crayon covered cardboard box. Drive a Soul or get burnt in a Toaster oven or get caught in a washing machine. It's a perfect mix of creativity, entertainment and a neutral but effective DIS on the competition...ANY and all of the competition.
And I love the old school RUN DMC, nice to see the Rev makin some bank on a revival sample track that fits the concept perfectly.
So the question: Would I buy a KIA Soul? The answer is probably not, but the commercial doesn't want me too, so it's all good.
What makes it so good? Check it out and see if you agree.
There is no doubt who KIA's target demographic is and what they get for their money, starting at under $14k. Inner city buyers who are into functionality and style that screams sick but affordable. In this case, I think the Hamsters are effective in their ability to capture an audience based on the furry factor...I mean, Hamsters in oversized hoodies rollin through city blocks to the beats of a little RUN DMC. I wouldn't go as far as to say they were cute, but they work as spokes-hamster for a small car in an on the move market.
There is more genius in the comparitive examples throughout. Roll in a KIA Soul or fall on your face in a crayon covered cardboard box. Drive a Soul or get burnt in a Toaster oven or get caught in a washing machine. It's a perfect mix of creativity, entertainment and a neutral but effective DIS on the competition...ANY and all of the competition.
And I love the old school RUN DMC, nice to see the Rev makin some bank on a revival sample track that fits the concept perfectly.
So the question: Would I buy a KIA Soul? The answer is probably not, but the commercial doesn't want me too, so it's all good.
Quiznos
There are several ad campaigns that I like, pretty much all the time. Jetblue does a good job, Nissan has been creative overall but as a part of this blog and the opinions expressed within it...I cannot avoid pointing out a really BAD campaign. One that does not fall into the "any press is good press" category nor do I think it is so bad it's good product either.
Remember this?
YO, Quiznos...this is NOT a good campaign. This screams of a desparate act to steal whatever market share Jared and Subway captured with the warm and fuzzy I ate and lost weight commercials.
The only success I'll give you is the over 800,000 views on Youtube. But I can't help to think that with those views are an equal number of roadkill induced visits to the toilet to throw up even the concept of eating a Quiznos sub.
Please stay close to the "MMMM mmm MMMMM mmmm MM....Toasty!" Because a Quiznos sub really is so damn delicious! Not to mention there is a fair amount of brand equity still left in the self respect and corporate image department.
Remember this?
YO, Quiznos...this is NOT a good campaign. This screams of a desparate act to steal whatever market share Jared and Subway captured with the warm and fuzzy I ate and lost weight commercials.
The only success I'll give you is the over 800,000 views on Youtube. But I can't help to think that with those views are an equal number of roadkill induced visits to the toilet to throw up even the concept of eating a Quiznos sub.
Please stay close to the "MMMM mmm MMMMM mmmm MM....Toasty!" Because a Quiznos sub really is so damn delicious! Not to mention there is a fair amount of brand equity still left in the self respect and corporate image department.
Miller Lite vs Evil Beaver
OK...so the title alone is noteworthy right? What could this advertisement be talking about and how does it tie into...well, ANYTHING? Good ad or bad ad is the question.
First of all, any ad that get a reaction is a good ad, despite the use of bad tactics, bad production or even and especially just a bad idea. In this case, there is so much of this commercial that IS bad..that this advertisment for BEER is good...no wait, GREAT !
Enjoy!!
Bad:
- Homesteading Pioneers(cowboys, oxen and pullcarts just never seem to be funny, unless one is being gored by the other...)
- Costumes (again...cowboys and an honorable mention for the Beaver, but too many cowboys and only one beaver seems to go against the expectations of a cowboy.)
- Subtitles (isn't that a little neglectful of our hearing impaired viewing/listening audience?)
- Acting
GOOD !!
- Pioneers (the thought of them being gored or losing a limb IS a little intriging.)
- Costumes (I thought it was Sasquatch initially...but it's a big freaking BEAVER...and that is big freakin funny.)
- Motorcycle (not just the motorcycle but the fact that the beaver is rockin his cap backwords while doing laps around the cabin...nice!!)
- Shewing (the act of shewing a crazy eye'd, man sized, plastic tailed, motorcycle riding beaver WITH A BROOM is just classic, we all know a pitchfork is the tool to use)
- Peg Leg (the fact that there is a peg leg in this commercial is so bad it's good but the beaver gnawing through it in the middle of his rage is AWESOME !)
And the Evil Beaver chillin with a Miller Lite while the homesteaders run for their lives...well, that just makes me wanna drink more beer.
And THAT is what advertising is all about.
First of all, any ad that get a reaction is a good ad, despite the use of bad tactics, bad production or even and especially just a bad idea. In this case, there is so much of this commercial that IS bad..that this advertisment for BEER is good...no wait, GREAT !
Enjoy!!
Bad:
- Homesteading Pioneers(cowboys, oxen and pullcarts just never seem to be funny, unless one is being gored by the other...)
- Costumes (again...cowboys and an honorable mention for the Beaver, but too many cowboys and only one beaver seems to go against the expectations of a cowboy.)
- Subtitles (isn't that a little neglectful of our hearing impaired viewing/listening audience?)
- Acting
GOOD !!
- Pioneers (the thought of them being gored or losing a limb IS a little intriging.)
- Costumes (I thought it was Sasquatch initially...but it's a big freaking BEAVER...and that is big freakin funny.)
- Motorcycle (not just the motorcycle but the fact that the beaver is rockin his cap backwords while doing laps around the cabin...nice!!)
- Shewing (the act of shewing a crazy eye'd, man sized, plastic tailed, motorcycle riding beaver WITH A BROOM is just classic, we all know a pitchfork is the tool to use)
- Peg Leg (the fact that there is a peg leg in this commercial is so bad it's good but the beaver gnawing through it in the middle of his rage is AWESOME !)
And the Evil Beaver chillin with a Miller Lite while the homesteaders run for their lives...well, that just makes me wanna drink more beer.
And THAT is what advertising is all about.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Gimme the Can Damnit!
How many times have you flown on pretty much any airline and said to yourself..."Hey Lady, after that cattle call at the gate and my checked baggage upcharge...you WILL BE leavin that can of Coca-Cola or someones gonna get escorted off this plane in handcuffs"? Is that a little too extreme? It all seems so simple but I DO find myself feeling awkward everytime I insist on more than the refreshing third of a can poured over 12 ice cubes.
Thankfully JetBlue has addressed the issue. And I think they have done it without the need for an armed escort.
Thankfully JetBlue has addressed the issue. And I think they have done it without the need for an armed escort.
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